Copyright © 1997 by the Boston Phoenix, Inc. All rights reserved.

This Just In: Numerology

The count of Morrissey Boulevard

By Dan Kennedy

So, how many life-threatening traffic rotaries are state officials planning to get rid of? Follow along with last Friday's Boston Globe and see if you can tell.

The page-one teaser, headlined THE DANGEROUS DOZEN, seems clear enough, and it's accompanied by a list of 12 "notorious rotaries." So far, so good.

The abacus tilts, though, when you turn to the Metro/Region front and try to count along with transportation reporter Tom Palmer. To wit:

Palmer writes that "a Dangerous Dozen or so . . . are being targeted for extinction." Hmm. How many rotaries can dance on the head of a "so"?

Palmer then reports that the Massachusetts Highway Department's priority list consists of "seven notorious rotaries" plus "a few other problem locations."

Next, Palmer quotes state transportation secretary Patrick Moynihan as saying, "We're focusing on the top 10 that are creating both traffic and safety problems."

Finally, a sidebar lists the rotaries that "are on the Highway Department's list for early replacement." Call it "the Dangerous Baker's Dozen": there are 13.